March 6, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:23 -- What good or evil is flowing out of you?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23 ESV
 
Standing all alone it seems like an odd little verse. Lately we’ve been examining the instruction of godly fathers and the teaching of mothers who are faithful to God. We’ve noted there are two pathways: the highway of evil that leads to destruction and the road of wisdom that deepens one’s relationship with God for all eternity. In many ways this is a summary statement. A key reminder that what you’ve put into your heart will inevitably flow out from it.
 
Perhaps this was the background of wisdom Jesus used as He taught:
How can you speak good when you are evil?
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
The good person out of his good treasure
brings forth good,
and the evil person out of his evil treasure
brings forth evil.
(Matthew 12:34b-35)
What you see, what you hear, what you read, what you think about, what group of people are your closest companions—all of these will affect, or infect your heart. If you are not constantly guarding your heart, vigilantly, carefully, thoroughly, you’ll be pouring the poison of evil into the deepest part of your decision-making self. Soon all you desire, think about, see, and do confirms the ever-widening pool of corruption in your heart.
 
However, the man who trusts in God, walking in His ways, opening himself up to all godly instruction will be guarding the treasured well-spring of his heart. A man’s heart is made pure by Jesus through faith in Him. A godly woman is guarded in purity by her utter submission to the Holy Spirit. Every godly person carefully scrutinizes all the input of the world. That means to guard his mind by filtering through his faith all that his eyes and ears pick up. Whatever is ungodly, vile, or good-seeming-but-is-actually-evil, will be flagged and discarded. Why?
 

• First of all, our lives were bought at the cost of the blood of Jesus Christ. He bore the full weight of God’s anger against our sin. What other response could there ever be but the profound and glorious desire to stay within that pleasant place where we’re counted the beloved of God?

• Second, people who know we are Christians are looking at us. Does your life really reflect the fullness of your awe-filled, profound gratitude to the Living God for His glorious rescue? If not, then they’ll know you are as much a fraud as the next person and your faith is worthless.

• Third, as Jesus said, the heart, the source of your life from which flows either the poison of evil infection; or, guarded from it flows the springs of life. Fourth, Jesus Himself said He is a spring of water that wells up to eternal life (John 4:14). When people who know you as you were, see you as you are in Christ, it will be obvious, only Jesus, the Savior could have effected that massive change in you. God will be praised. When people who see you in Christ and know you are His servant, see your long-term faithfulness to Jesus, they will know, this could only come from a soul that is purified by a power greater than your own willpower.

 
Father in heaven thank You for Jesus Who is the spring of water welling up to eternal life. Holy Father and Blessed Savior, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who has opened up within the life of every believer this deep well of life, wisdom, and holiness. We confess how readily we pollute this spring in thought, word, deed and even in good deeds we know we should do but leave undone. Oh Father, at the start of this new day, cleanse us once again, as we confess our sins. Renew in us the vitality of the waters springing up in us to eternal life so that from that treasured source we bring forth good in whatever we do our say. Triune God, to You be the glory, now and forever more. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/CyHbdqB8kto?si=eeAcRYRzJjtvvuN3 I Surrender All
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

March 4, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:18-19 -- Choose the hard path. The right, hard path.

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
Proverbs 4:18-19 ESV
 
What are you looking at? Movies. Social media. Heroes. Money. Goals. Jesus taught that the eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22); so, whatever it is you meditate on, you are constantly pouring into your brain. What you are looking at stimulates your desires and sets your course. What are you looking at? It is what will guide you. If your physical eyes, and your spiritual eyes, are always considering the Jesus, the Light of Life (John 8:12) your life’s path will be filled with light. It is brightness that increases with every passing day, because each day with Jesus brings fuller, greater light into your life.
 
If, however, you are walking your own path, trying to do things on your own with little, or no real reference to Jesus, then you will be heading into ever deeper darkness. My aging father needs a walker. I never realized how hard it is to use to walker. It is tempting to look at your feet. Interestingly, the more you look down, the more likely you are to stumble. When you look up and straight ahead, your steps become steadier and you’re less likely to fall. That is the point of this passage as well. If you are not looking up to Jesus, and you’re not putting your full weight on His Spirit, the walker, you will inevitably fall, stumbling into ever darker paths.
 
So, clear out for yourself a path forward. Spend time with Jesus in Bible reading and prayer. Listen to godly podcasts and excellent sermons. Spend time with Christians whose walk with God inspires you. You will find life as challenging and hard as it ever was, but the difference is you’ll be walking in the Light of Life and by His Spirit have the full support you require. Choose your hard path.
 
Our Father, You have revealed Yourself as He Who lives in unapproachable Light. Your excellencies and glory and holiness are so far beyond us. Yet, in Your great mercy and love You draw Your people to Yourself in Jesus—Who is the Light of Life. He is Way of Light. Patient Father, You have given the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit Who fills our spiritual eyes with the Light of Life, so that the more we ponder Jesus, the steadier are our footfalls on the pathway of all that is excellent and true. Thank You that You are the glorious, patient God, Who brings us great light and freedom so that our lives, in every step, declare Your praise. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/rpYM6Et_hVY?si=2YRGf3EmgW--C2rz He Leadeth Me
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 28, 2026 -- Romans 5:10 -- Jesus, Friend of Sinners

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Romans 5:10 ESV
 
Sometimes a different translation of a verse will really grab your attention. It is important to note that translations of the Bible differ because some strive to translate word for word exact. Those of you who know two or more languages know that every language is unique. Idiomatic expressions, and even the context of words, means that a literal, word for word translation will feel very unnatural, stilted. Other translations seek to capture the sense of a passage but not be as focused on a literal word for word translation. However, such a translation can feel “loose”. Also, language changes quickly, so those kinds of translations soon feel very out of date.
 
This morning, I was reading a variation of Romans 5:10. It is in more contemporary language:
Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us,
because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater
than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God,
we will be saved by the life of his Son.
Romans 5:10 (Contemporary English Version).
That phrase, something greater than friendship is ours, grabbed my attention today. It stirs my soul to consider that the God of Universal Power and Glory would stoop down to make me His friend.
 
Other verses in the Bible also touch on this concept of Jesus as our friend. A well-known example is this one:
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know
what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,
for all that I have heard from my Father
I have made known to you. (John 15:15 ESV)
Think how much your dearest, here-on-earth friend means to you. If your friend, who is as evil as you are, knows how to truly bless and encourage you, how much more, your truest, deepest, perfect Friend Jesus must love you. It is such an excellent concept to meditate on.
 
Father in heaven, blessed is Your Name, now and forevermore!
Thank You for the great, extravagant, and glorious gift of Jesus. Thank You that He is the Friend of sinners. Jesus, by Whose blood, sinners are reconciled to You, O Father, and called beloved sons and daughters of God. Spirit of the Living God, thank You for uniting us to Jesus, the greatest, truest friend. Spirit of God, teach us to such faithful to friends in Him, that others around us will see, and long to know Jesus. Jesus, Friend of Sinners, let Your goodness be broadcast far and wide until the full count of those appointed to Your service are brought into Your Kingdom. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/BY6VAy9y_iQ?si=G44-6NVbpNcmSwb_ Jesus, Friend of Sinners
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 27, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:13-14 -- The spiritual ground-to-air defense system

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Proverbs 4:13-14 ESV
 
The word “instruction” is the Hebrew word that could also be translated, reproof, warning, correction, education or training. Depending on the context, it is either negative as a warning, or, as in our context, positive, as setting one on the pathway of life in Christ. According the one encyclopedia, the word instruction/discipline can be explained this way:
To discipline a person or a group means to put them
in a state of good order so that they function in the way
intended. Discipline, in spite of a popular misconception,
is not inherently stern or harsh. Bible translators chose
“disciple” as an appropriate term for one who learns by
following.
 Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, pp 631–633
 
Instruction prepares the wise son, and the prudent daughter, so that every individual is prepared for the days of hardship or temptation which are brought on by the wiles of the Devil. Discipline as it is applied to Christians in community, aids individuals who are living and serving together so that the strong help those struggling in their time of weakness. Discipline both guards against waywardness, and it maps out a road to reconciliation and restoration. When one has fallen, discipline becomes discipleship, allowing the follower to find his way back to Jesus and back to full fellowship with His people.
 
Conversely, to enter the path of the wicked means that one has toyed with sin. One has recognized there might be danger in an activity, a movie, an invitation, a decision, but despite the ringing of the alarm bells of the conscience, one pushes past his good instruction and launches himself into the on-coming disaster. For the Christian, to enter the path of the wicked, or to walk in evil is not something accidental. It didn’t just “happen”. At some point it was a conscious choice. The small tentacles of evil stretched out towards you, fleeting considerations of something bad, but these were not immediately crushed and shunned. The idea took hold of your imagination, running in the distant background of your mind, while you went on with your daily activities. Eventually, you find at the end of the day, you’ve done your normal good, but the imagined evil from earlier in the day, not immediately renounced or rooted out, has become a full-blown compulsion. You feel a strong desire to do what you’ve been considering, justifying, because so much earlier you allowed it to be considered as a program running just below the surface of conscious thought.
 
If you guard the instruction given you by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, and cling to the discipline given you through wise counselors, you will find that your heart has a missile defense system against evil. You will spot trouble, while it is very far off, and you’ll be able to shoot it down. As it is pointed out in the passage, ignoring the incoming missile of evil is death. Guarding instruction means that she will in turn guard you. She is a ground to air defense system prepared to launch against all the sly or unexpected spiritual attacks in the unseen realms. It seems to me, the question might well be, why would you let yourself be exposed to all manner of self-destruction, when the LORD your faithful Father has provided the way of relief? Choose to keep hold of instruction!
 
I was a stranger, an outcast, a slave, a rebel,
but Your cross has brought me near,
has softened my heart,
has made me Your Father’s child,
has admitted me to Your family,
as made me a join-heir with Yourself, Lord Jesus.
O that I may love You as You love me
that I may walk worthy of You, my Lord,
that I may reflect the image of heaven’s first-born.
May I always see Your beauty with the clear eye of faith,
and feel the power of Your Spirit in my heart,
for unless the Spirit moves mightily in me,
no inward fire will be kindled.
Amen.
Adapted from final paragraph of “Need of Jesus”, The Valley of Vision. page 187
 
https://youtu.be/rpYM6Et_hVY?si=NVOwkn-aYGb-xJhL He Leadeth Me
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 25, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:3-4 -- Choose which hard path you'll take

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4  he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Pr 4:3–4.
 
Life is hard. Choose the hard you will engage in. You can choose to do hard things that lead to sin, to destruction, and ultimately to death, or you can choose the hard path that leads to life. Any son who strives to hold fast (that means, to hold onto tightly; think of our modern word fastener, something which secures, binds) his father’s Christian instruction will be endlessly mocked by his secular peers. Choose your hard path.
 
When your mother encourages you to keep the commandments of God, and live, you know your peers will be holding out a blunt, telling you you’re a loser, a wimp, a momma’s boy, if you don’t take a puff. But you know that whoever hates wisdom, loves death (Proverbs 8:36). Even those who appear to be Christian friends can be shaking hands with the devil. No wonder the culture all around celebrates skulls and death. An honest atheist chooses their hard path to death that ushers a man into hell with no possibility of mercy. A dishonest man is walking the road to death, all the while asserting he is free, he is happy, and no one is his master. The truth is, what you serve, you’re a slave to it. Today this warning reaches you, turn from evil and hold fast to the words of God and live. Turn from the little temptations, the small seemingly harmless itches to wrong doing. Serve Jesus and live.
 
O Lord God,
Thou art my protecting arm,
fortress, refuge, shield, buckler.
Fight for me and my foes must flee;
Uphold me and I cannot fall;
Strengthen me and I stand unmoved, unmoveable;
Equip me and I shall receive no wound;
Stand by me and Satan will depart;
Anoint my lips with a song of salvation and I shall shout thy victory;
Give me abhorrence of all evil,
as a vile monster that defies thy law,
casts off thy yoke,
defiles my nature, spreads misery.
Teach me to look to Jesus on his cross
and so to know sin’s loathsomeness in thy sight.
There is no pardon but through thy Son’s death,
no cleansing but in his precious blood,
no atonement but his to expiate evil.
Show me the shame, the agony, the bruises
of incarnate God,
that I may read boundless guilt in the boundless price;
May I discern the deadly viper in its real malignity,
tear it with holy indignation from my breast,
resolutely turn from its every snare,
refuse to hold polluting dalliance with it.
Blessed Lord Jesus, at thy cross
may I be taught the awful miseries from which I am saved,
ponder what the word ‘lost’ implies,
see the fires of eternal destruction;
Then may I cling more closely to thy broken self,
adhere to thee with firmer faith,
be devoted to thee with total being,
detest sin as strongly as thy love to me is strong,
And may holiness be the atmosphere
in which I live.
“Conflict” Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions, page 182
 
https://youtu.be/936BapRFHaQ?si=3CDSsJtF7cl3HnQj He Will Hold Me Fast
 

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February 23, 2026 -- Proverbs 4:1-2 -- Choose to rehearse good instruction

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
2  for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Proverbs 4:1–2.
 
Choose to go back to wise instruction, throughout your life, let it be something you rehearse repeatedly in your life. Sometimes friends are recommending movies to one another, talking about the plot, the characters, the action and as often as they mention it, they are letting it dig deeper into their heart and imagination. I wonder, how often do we speak of our past instruction in godliness, so that it digs deeper into our imagination and heart? When we speak of teachings, of sermons, of our walk with God it will lead to giving praise and thanks to God for His goodness and His rich blessings.
 
Some of you might protest, but my father (or my mother) were not Christians at all. Fair enough. Who taught you the way of salvation? Who had such an influence on you that instruction in the way of the LORD became your moral compass and led you to follow Jesus Christ in humble obedience? Give thanks to God for such teachers.
 
Precepts are persuasive teaching—which can be wicked, like the silky-smooth words of an adulteress which would lead you to damnation—or precepts are godly instructions which convince you of the majesty of God. The Holy Spirit works in you through the reading of the Word so that you long to personally acquire and integrate into your life all that your honorable teachers taught you.
 
Then comes a warning: “do not forsake my teaching”. There will be tremendous pressures to cave-in and compromise. Jesus warned His followers, if the world hated Him, how much more will the world hate those who follow Him?! It gets even more difficult, even among fellow Christians there will be times when you are pressured to compromise or forsake some aspect of the truth of God’s word. You read how the apostles themselves had to wrestle with the bible, even vehemently disagreeing on how to interpret it correctly. Be attentive to all that is commanded. Be prepared to walk humbly and faithfully in the power of the Spirit and in true Christian community. It is hard work. It is holy work.
 
Humble me for not being as holy as I should be,
or as holy as I might be through Christ,
for You are all, and to possess You is to possess all. Amen
From “Reliance”, The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions, page 177
 
https://youtu.be/D36CbGfd2Dw?si=8iFzS1pfn7MuRTh2 Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 22, 2026 -- Matthew 5:5-15 -- What do you rely on?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Matthew 10:5-15 ESV
 
Faith. What do we really rely on? Note that those, during the life-time of Jesus, who are sent out to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel were not to acquire funds, or pack suitcases. Like the prophets of the Old Testament, they were to rely on the generosity of the people of God as they go out. I wonder. If our bank accounts were opened before the LORD and His servant—what would it prove? What do we rely on? Do we trust our money management? Do we buy things for ourselves? Are we investing in the Kingdom of God? Are we going out as His ambassadors, or are we living for ourselves?
 
Believers, who have no riches, show their dedication to the LORD in hosting servants of God in their homes. They support missionaries through prayers. Through letters of encouragement. Meals. Our goal in life is not to acquire money, wealth and possessions for our own use. We must, as the Proverbs teach us, be wise and gather up our wealth bit by bit, however, we must also be willing to give to anyone who is in need. All that we have is from the LORD and all we are is His. Our thoughts, our actions, our inaction, all of these are laid bare before our Creator. To Him we will give an account at the end of our lives. The passage is warning to us now to examine yourself. Ask yourself how you are, and how will, use your resources for the Kingdom of Jesus.
 
I give thanks to You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life;
You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand delivers me.
The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me;
Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of Your hands.
Psalm 138:1a, 7-8 ESV
 
https://youtu.be/rpYM6Et_hVY?si=adE64mvvMjL8eEvo He Leadeth Me
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 20, 2026 -- Proverbs 3:27 -- Choose to act out the good you have received

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to do it.
Proverbs 3:27 ESV
 
Choose to act out the holiness you have in Christ. As I’ve noted before, I’m not sure where I first heard this expression, but it is so appropriate here: righteousness is holiness in action. What is stored up in your heart, the knowledge of God, love from God to you, love for God, love for neighbour, will flow from you in a demonstration of love. Good that you do can only flow from every good gift you have received from your Father in heaven. You have life. You have the gift of salvation through the reconciling blood of Jesus. You have the Holy Spirit planted in you to guard you in the grace of God and to equip you for righteous living.
 
From the abundance of His care to you, share good with those around you. Notice the passage restricts the giving of good to what is in your power to do. The word power in the original language is hand. Literally it reads ‘when it is in your hand to do it’. You are not to spend what you don’t have. God gives you hours in the day. He gives you talents. He gives you mental, physical and emotional strength. From the abundance with which He has blessed you, bless others. He has appointed you to be a channel of His blessing to the people He put into your life. You are uniquely suited for that purpose.
 
It is encouraging to note that Jesus did not heal every single person He met. Jesus, directed by the Holy Spirit, exercised His power for good. Even Jesus Himself, as a fully human man, could become depleted. The Gospel of Luke notes that Jesus often went to lonely places to pray. His intimate connection with the Father, through such prayer times, refreshed His soul, strengthened His weary body, and renewed His zeal for service. We know how to live, apportioning good to whom it is due, only as much as we rely on our relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Today’s passage is an invitation to be refreshed in God; and as you yourself are refreshed and strengthened in Him, use your abilities to be a blessing to others.
 
Father in heaven, blessed be Your Name, now and forever more. Thank You for the new life You give to Your people through Jesus Christ. Renew us by Your Spirit through the Word so we, who have been strengthened by You, will be willing, ready, and able to bless others out of the abundance of Your grace which wells up in us to eternal life. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/rpYM6Et_hVY?si=8D33YjGN7wH9gsXq He Leadeth Me
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 19, 2026 -- Proverbs 3:5-8 -- Health in the deepest part of your body

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV
 
Choose to obey to the LORD—and look at the result, it will be healing for your flesh and refreshment to your bones. The word “flesh” in the Hebrew language is “navel”. So, the implication is that in the deepest part of who you are, open-hearted submission to God heals your inward parts. In the original language the word “bone” is marrow. We know today that the marrow produces blood cells for the body. If the bones are sound, health flows to all the body.
 
How is such healing experienced in the life of the believer? It is by exercising trust in the LORD—which is so counter-cultural. There are so many forces, social pressures, and human reasons given why this seems crazy. But the Bible, written by men as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, reveals the purposes and work of God, our Creator. It makes sense that He Who made us, knows what is best for us in our in-most parts and for our life in community. Acknowledging God in our all ways includes confessing our sins when we are wandering far from Him or going our own way.
 
To turn from evil, is to turn away from the things we do which are contrary to God’s rules for living. Evil words, deeds, or actions will lead to death. Evil is contrary to God’s rules and ways. Our heavenly Father has instituted for us the path of life, to fight His holy ways is to fight against your own mental, spiritual, emotional, sexual, physical and social health.
 
It is such mercy and love that God our Father shows us, that when we recognize our sinful ways and our wicked deeds, we discover He has already provided the healing and refreshment of salvation. We confess our sins, all the wrong paths we’ve taken, and do so in the powerful Name of Jesus. As soon as we make our confessions, we learn our sin has been punished upon the Person of Jesus at the cross, and we receive His righteousness. We receive the credit of His perfect, never-having-sinned, life. God sees us as having the perfection of Jesus—which in turn leads us to desire to walk in greater health. 
 
God of the Publican,
Be merciful to me a sinner;
this I am by nature and practice,
this thy Word proclaims me to be,
this I hope I feel myself to be;
Yet thou hast not left me to despair,
for there is no ‘^peradventure’ in thy grace;
I have all the assurance I need that with thee is plenteous redemption.
In spite of the number and heinousness of my sins
thou hast given me a token for good;
The golden sceptre is held out,
and thou hast said ‘Touch it and live’.
May I encourage myself by a sense of thy all-sufficiency,
by faith in thy promises, by views of the experience of others.
To that dear refuge in which so many have sheltered
from every storm may I repair,
In that fountain always freely open for sin
may I be cleansed from every defilement.
Sin is that abominable thing which thy soul hates,
and this alone separates thee and me.
Thou canst not contradict the essential perfections of thy nature;
Thou canst not make me happy with thyself,
till thou hast made me holy like thyself.
O holy God, make me such a creature
as thou canst take pleasure in,
and such a being that I can take pleasure in thee.
May I consent to and delight in thy law
after the inner man,
never complain over the strictness of thy demands,
but mourn over my want of conformity to them;
never question thy commandments,
but esteem them to be right.
By thy Spirit within me
may my practice spring from principle, and
my dispositions be conformable with duty.
     Valley of Vision: MERCY, page 170
 
Peradventure: doubt or uncertainty
https://youtu.be/o-ImfnUqWxg?si=T-2GTYTnxdh3TZ8u All Praise to Him
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 17, 2026 -- Proverbs 3:3 -- God's love and faithfulness; do you know it?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Proverbs 3:3.
 
What is steadfast love? It is the covenant love with which your Father in heaven loves you. Steadfast love (which is the translation of the Hebrew word hēsēd) has about 100 translations into English. It can mean lovingkindness, mercy, ardent zeal, graciousness, love, goodwill, commitment and so on. Faithfulness means firmness and truth as well as loyalty. Though believers are at times faithless, God is faithful, remembering His steadfast love forever, and it means that He Who started a good work in you will bring it to completion.
 
Why does it matter? Steadfast love and faithfulness are the treasures of God poured out into the life of the one who chooses obedience. Steadfast love and faithfulness which fill the heart of the one who knows he is loved by God through the accomplished work of Jesus Christ will in turn, show steadfast love and faithfulness toward the covenant community of believers. The storehouse of God’s treasures will be shared among believers, gifts more costly, valuable, and rare than mere gold, silver or possessions. Life in Christ is characterized as steadfast love and faithfulness received and then shared.
 
How does one walk so that he receives and shares such treasures?

• First, one is steeped in the teachings of God. Filled with the teachings of God through faithful parents. Maybe a Christian friend has become a spiritual father or mother to you and shows you this way of living.

• Second, one who has received the teaching of God, owns it not as the teachings “out there” which belongs to other people, but claims it as for himself as teaching that has grabbed his own heart. His soul is inspired by it, and so daily, he strives to live in steadfast love and faithfulness.

• Third, the more one realizes his life is drenched in God the Father’s steadfast love and faithfulness, more one realizes it is the Holy Spirit Who has made the word of God so rich. It is this wondrous beauty of the Word which leads one to trust in the Bible, with the eyes of faith see in its every page the Author and Perfecter of all true believing.

 
Our Father in heaven, steadfast in love and great in faithfulness, thank You for the new life that is ours in Christ. Thank You for Your extravagant grace shown to us in Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit, help us to walk in steadfast love and faithfulness, so that many will be drawn to new life in You. Forgive us for the times we have been lazy, ignorant, or rebellious. Let our lives be a polished mirror reflecting back to You Your steadfast love and faithfulness and then also reflecting these into the community of people among whom You have placed us. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/8q3jmXn6HTQ?si=e2C69deNcHdTqUdo Love Divine
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 16, 2026 -- Proverbs 3:1-2 -- The Advantage of Treasuring Up Teaching

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.
Proverbs 3:1-2 ESV
 
Why is it that a boy, a teen-ager, a young woman, and every adult must remember the teaching of God. Godly instructions which have been given through a parent, or a spiritual father or mother? First, if your heart keeps the commandments, if you delight in the law of the LORD within yourself, then obedience will flow from your life. Whatever it is your heart ponders, your hands will eventually do.
 
Second, such obedience leads to greater obedience. In fact, guarding up the teaching of the LORD in your heart will lead to making a practice of living out the very holiness your heart treasures. Why is it that we often go astray? Simply because we have been treasuring up wrongdoing in our hearts. But if we’d treasure up the teaching of God, then our life would be filled with righteousness—that is, holiness acted out in every part of our day.
 
Third, keeping the commandments of God keeps a man from the destructive ways of sin. The Devil entices people to wrongdoing. Sure, sin feels good, but that is the Devil’s way where actions inevitably lead to death. Sin leads to death. It is the decree of God from the beginning. It is the will of the Devil to destroy all who are image-bearers of God—because the Devil hates God and can’t directly attack God, he attacks the image-bearers of God.
 
So, it makes sense that a man, or a woman, who has treasured up in the heart the teaching of God will experience length of days and years of life. Living for God results in life that is honourable, joy filled and purposeful. Even when a Christian is severely persecuted because he is living for Jesus, there is great rejoicing. Every hint of persecution confirms the godly one has identified with Jesus, not with the wickedness of the world.
 
Finally, treasuring up the teaching of wisdom will bring you peace. That wonderful word, peace, is a translation of the Hebrew word shalom. Shalom means wholeness. Absence of war. When a believer, guided by the Holy Spirit, walks in the ways of God, he is not at war in himself, endlessly deciding what he will do, or won’t do. When a woman is at peace with God in her soul, she is not on the fly making decisions about the important matters of her life. It is already settled within her, so every circumstance she meets, she can face knowing she has already committed her way to God, her gracious Father.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for every instruction in holiness we have received from faithful parents, from willingly-serving Sunday School teachers, and from our spiritual fathers or mothers. Blessed are You, O LORD our God, for adding length of days and years of life to those who are obedient to you through Jesus, our Redeemer-King. By Your Holy Spirit, planted within us, sustain and enlarge our desire to live for Jesus. Empower us to do what we have pledged to do, so that our heart and our hands, our lips and our life bring honour and praise to God. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/C-T7VyCMbQQ?si=lCpRjSvCMnDIkoAU Take My Life and Let It Be
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 15, 2026 -- Matthew 9:37b - 38 -- What should I pray?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Then he [Jesus] said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:37b-38 ESV
 
We can pray. In fact, we must pray. Not to be miracle-workers. Not to be wonderworkers. We must pray to fulfil our task, which is to teach the word of God to those around us and proclaim His goodness. In our ordinary life, in our routines among co-workers and friends speak about Jesus. Talk about the times you’ve met Him in church. The ways you meet Him in your morning Bible reading and prayer time. Speak about how He has helped you overcome the curse of sin in your own life. How?
 
Many of you know that my friend Jason is engaged in the Canadian Mental Health Challenge. He is going to do 2000 push-ups for charity—raising awareness about the scourge of suicide. (Not 2,000 a day, come on now, but in the span of this month.) If you have talked to him recently, you know all about that. Even if you haven’t spoken to him in weeks, you can’t miss his social media posts. He is doing push-ups at Walmart (he makes sure it is recorded and then he posts it on-line for all to see). At work (and then updates the count of how many push-ups he’s already done). At home in the kitchen. Why mention that? When something is dear to our hearts, we express it and speak of it all the time. Just as Jason can incorporate his push-up challenge into his daily conversations, so we too can insert Jesus into our daily conversations.
 
Jesus is our goal. He is the prize of our lives. He is the healer of mental health crises that plague our world. Most importantly, our greatest need is met in Jesus: He cleanses us from our sin so that we can live in relationship with our Father in heaven. The Father has provided the way for us to escape His curse against our sin. The Father accepted the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ, so that, at the cross, all our sins and the punishment measured out against them, were meted out against Jesus. All who believe in Jesus have exchanged their sinfulness for His perfect obedience. We are made new in Christ. It is the greatest, most-worth-telling-everyone-about-it news in the world.
 
Father in heaven, glorious and forever blessed be Your Name. Thank You for the new life You give to all who believe in Jesus. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, Who prompts us to desire Jesus. Holy Spirit, guard us in the way of Jesus. Father in heaven, we confess how lifeless our prayers have been. We ask You, forgive us our prayerlessness and our renew in us the joy of our salvation. Instill in us a holy desire, an urgent fervency, to be men and women of prayer so that those in our circle of influence will see Jesus in us and in all we do. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/vCcGqMHndxo?si=tuGVmGM9dKK5nbkT Worthy Is the Lamb that Was Slain
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 13, 2026 -- Proverbs 2:1, 9-12, 16-17 -- Choose wisdom. It is practical for daily life

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you…
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity and every good path;
for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech…
So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words,
who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God…
Proverbs 2:1, 9-12, 16-17 ESV
 
Choose wisdom, because it is your helper in every day, real circumstances. The opening chapters of Proverbs are set up as if a father, a mother, and a wise counselor were speaking with a child who needs to be instructed. A youngster needs so much instruction on the basics of the world, learning to distinguish evil from good. Perhaps even more importantly, what has the appearance of good, but is in fact, wicked or perverse.
 
The man (or woman) who treasures up the commandments of God will understand righteousness and justice. Righteousness has been described as the desire to be holy expressed in daily actions. Righteousness is eminently practical. Armed with a desire for righteousness, a man will set aside anything that might trip him up or block his path in pursuing God. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. You won’t constantly be kicking against the pathways of God but will realize the boundary lines God has established are right, good, and designed to spare you all kinds of heartache.
 
The world around you is coarse, rude, celebrates perverseness. Even the Olympic Games, which are supposed to celebrate competition, honour, and sportsmanship can be degenerate. You can find many news stories of scandals related to cheating, doping, and sexual perversions. Why mention this? The human heart is not naturally pure and good. Unchecked, the heart is devious and crooked. Unless you are aware of the condition of your heart, having been informed by wisdom and guarded by the Holy Spirit in every good path, you will readily succumb to the invitations to hang out with men who have not been taught in wisdom’s ways, and they will lead you in the perverseness of evil.
 
The Christian hears godless scientists proclaim there is no god and the goal of human life is reproduction. So, sex is celebrated in the world. It is everywhere. There is a clear difference between a man or a woman who knows the ways of wisdom being steeped in understanding, and the person who is not. The forbidden woman (the devious man) will enjoy sex with multiple partners. Or take part in sex outside the holy bonds of marriage. It is not the way of God. The Father in heaven has set up holy rules, makes a covenant with His people, teaching them how to live—to break the covenant is to scoop fire into your lap.
I can hear some readers protest. Does that mean, if I am not married, I am not supposed to have sex? Yes, that is exactly what it means. The push-back continues, but I like it. I want it. Yes, but you know there are many things which, if enjoyed without the proper rules and boundaries, will hurt you. (Medication, properly prescribed and taken in the right doses will heal you; taken off-label and addictively, will kill you.)
 
The ways of darkness lead a man (or woman) to continue to push-back, but you expect me to go without sex? Who can do that? Well, Jesus did. He was perfect. He also gives the Holy Spirit so that “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (II Peter 1:3). The very God Who sets these boundaries has provided the power to keep them. The very God Who has set these boundaries has also provided the gift of Jesus Christ, through Whom all our past sins and wicked actions have already been punished. If you have been convicted in your conscience and renewed in your desire for obedience, know that today is a new day. Confess your sin. Repent—turn from your sinful ways and make a new commitment to walk in the ways of righteousness. Find an accountability man (or if you are a woman, another woman) to whom you can confess your sin and seek to be righteous in your living. Stamp out the familiar ways of evil so that you can walk in the way of righteousness and justice and equity and every good path (verse 9).
 
O God, my Father, like Paul I cry out “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing^”. Sin is right there, near me, living in me. I pray, gracious Father, deliver me from this body of death through the great and gracious work of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord. By Your Spirit Who lives in us, renew our zeal for holiness and our help us to walk in true righteousness. Place us in holy community, so that with a dear Christian friend or two, we will walk together with integrity. Amen.
^Romans 7:19 ESV
 
https://youtu.be/k2qbq_zzbRE?si=TGkRJ-2YcWtS1cx7 There is Power in the Blood

 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 12, 2026 -- Proverbs 2:6-8 -- Choosing to be shielded by Jesus

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
Proverbs 2:6-8 ESV
 
Choose sound wisdom. Wisdom is the guardian of your mind. It is a God-given gift. Sound wisdom helps you to discern what is fictitious from what is real and true. Many Canadians mourn after the recent, terrible shooting in Tumbler Ridge, BC. The incredible slant of wickedness in our world today is openly revealed in the description of the shooter. He, the biologically male claiming to be transgendered shooter, in the media has been given the pronoun “she”. Politics and lies are interposed upon the grief of the sufferers. Contrast this with the internationally known singer and song-writer Buffy Saint-Marie. She has received massive backlash (2023 to 2025) for presenting herself as a First-Nations woman, while her birth certificate states she was born in Massachusetts to white parents in 1941 (her official biography says she was born in Saskatchewan on the Piapot Cree First Nation Reserve). Why mention this? Well, the current narrative in Canada, the lie people are required to follow, is that a man can pretend to be a woman and follow the fictitious narrative that one’s biological sex as male or female is a construct. Those same folks in authority, exclude a Caucasian woman from claiming an indigenous identity. She has been stripped of various honors. Please explain the difference. (No, please don’t explain. It is part of the package of lies that are currently forced down the throats of Canadians.) It seems pretending can only go so far.
 
The LORD is a shield to those who walk in integrity. The word “integrity” means wholeness. Complete. Not fractured or splintered. When a man or a woman seeks to walk in integrity, that person will be challenged on every side by the agenda of those in power who deny God. Those same people in authority seek to destroy the family structure. Those who abuse power try to force others to celebrate evil as good and good as evil.
 
Beloved in Christ, we need the shield of God to surround us. To guard us from the lies that fly at us from outside of ourselves, but also to protect us from the lies that haunt us within. “Two of the lies Satan uses to keep us afraid are fear and intimidation. Satan will constantly remind you of the ways you have failed so that you will feel discouraged. He mixes the truth of what you have done with the lie that God has become angry with you or has abandoned you.” Overcomers Workbook, page 214 The world, and our peer group, might hurl lies at us. The Devil works overtime to thwart our commitment to follow Jesus. Then our own conscience can rip us apart.
A Christian is not morally better, purer, nor superior to any other person. The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is the shielding of God. The accusations of the Devil (accurate accusations against us based on our sins) were placed upon Jesus at the cross. The righteous anger of God against our sin was poured out on Jesus at the cross. That is precisely why Jesus is a shield for us.

• Jesus shielded us from the wrath of God.

• Jesus shields us from the accusations of Satan made against us because of our sins. The penalty against our sin has been paid in full at the cross of Jesus.

• Jesus will shield us from the weakness of our own flesh by giving to His people the Holy Spirit Who is the guardian of our way.

• The Holy Spirit will redirect us, when we intentionally, rebelliously, and sometimes unintentionally wander from what is holy and true. So we return to the protection of the shield of Jesus.

• The shield of Jesus means Christian men and women are saints, based not on anything they have done, but solely based on the accomplished work of Jesus. He is all our boast.

 
Father in heaven
“When I am tempted to think highly of myself, grant me to see the wily power of my spiritual enemy; help me to stand with wary eye on the watch-tower of faith, and to cling with determined grasp to my humble Lord; if I fall let me hide myself in my Redeemer’s righteousness, and when I escape, may I ascribe all deliverance to Your grace. Keep me humble, meek, lowly.” Amen.
 
Quoted from PRIDE, Valley of Vision. page 161
 
https://youtu.be/0nnkkra4FwY?si=kQFgy4FptN3G5q1W Psalm 150 Praise the LORD
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 11, 2026 -- Proverbs 2:1-5 -- What are you chasing after?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV
 
Choose whom you will serve. Your household, by word and action, show what is most valuable. Some families are setting aside regular schedules and routines to watch the Olympics. Oddly enough, life is not otherwise put on hold to go to church or to attend Bible Studies. Look at the passage, how all the verbs direct the reader to treasure up God’s commands, seek wisdom and understanding like you would treasures.
 
Ask yourself

• how I use and spend my money, does it show a focus on the Kingdom of God, or on my selfish needs?

• how I spend my time, is there a clear goal of learning more about God and His Word, or am I wasting my time in mindless pursuits?

• how am I prioritizing knowing God and spending time with fellow Christians who love Him?

• how does my life show that God my Father is more valuable than silver, that my devotion to Christ is greater than any gold I could ever get, and the Spirit’s insight is precious beyond accounting?

• how do I weep or repent or react when I read such things?

 
Choose this day to treasure knowing God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and to search for God more diligently than any person, thing or circumstance.
 
MERCIFUL LORD,
Pardon all my sin of this day, week, year
all the sins of my life,
sins of early, middle, and advanced years,
of omission and commission,
of morose, peevish and angry tempers,
of life, life and walk,
of hard-heartedness, unbelief, presumption, pride,
of unfaithfulness to the souls of men,
of want of bold decision in the cause of Christ,
of deficiency in outspoken zeal for his glory,
of bringing dishonour upon Your great Name,
of deception, injustice, untruthfulness
in my dealings with others,
of impurity in thought, word and deed,
of covetousness, which is idolatry,
of substance unduly hoarded, improvidently squandered,
not consecrated to Your glory, the great Giver;
sins in private and in the family,
in study and recreation, in the busy haunts of men,
in the study of Your Word and in the neglect of it,
in prayer irreverently offered and coldly withheld,
in time misspent,
in yielding to Satan’s wiles,
in opening my heart to his temptations,
in being unwatchful when I know him nigh,
in quenching the Holy Spirit;
sins against conscience and the restraints of Your Spirit,
against the law of eternal love.
Pardon all my sins, known and unknown,
felt and unfelt,
confessed and not confessed,
remembered or forgotten.
Good Lord, hear; and hearing, forgive.
 
SINS. Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayers and Devotions, page 158
 
https://youtu.be/9zGbdg1YCYY?si=xhAVv7Kxy0uheXRT Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
    and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV

Choose wisdom. Look at the great variety of verbs of seeking, going after, pursuing wisdom. What is the great search all about? It is to find the wisdom of God. It is to seek it like one seeks silver. How does a child know silver (or money) is valuable? He’ll see his parents seeking it out. He’ll hear people he respects talking about it. There will be lectures on how to gather money, invest it, and prepare for retirement. The household will either long for it (because there is never enough) or the household will celebrate and keep what it has. Already at a very young age children are given piggy banks or are encouraged to save. I wonder, is the same effort given to teach children the fear of the LORD and knowledge of the Holy One?

Compare your bible-reading time to the time you spend on your hobbies. Compare your bible reading time to the time you spend watching TV, or movies, or gaming. Compare the time you spend talking with your friends about sports, or fishing, or card-making, or the latest political trends. Now ask yourself, how much time do you spend with them talking about God? About your life in Christ? Your hope for the future in eternity with the Blessed Father? Your life, your actions, your finances show what you really value. Today’s passage is a clear call to return to the ways of God, to invest your efforts, your time and your friendships in knowing God.

MERCIFUL LORD,

February 9, 2026 -- Proverbs 1:28-29 -- The time of choosing Whom you will serve is short

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
Proverbs 1:28-29 ESV
 
Choose whom you will serve, for the days are winding down and then you will no longer have a choice but will be so hardened in your sin that the LORD will confirm your wickedness and will ignore you. The context of our text today is a five-verse narrative where the LORD had poured out His Spirit among His people, but they ignored His counsel. They would have none of His reproof. They experienced troubles and hardship and anguish…but they did not repent. This is repeated in Revelation, where the LORD will send plagues and hardships so that those appointed to repent will repent, and those appointed for death would rather curse God and bite off their own tongues, than submit to Him (Revelation 16:10-11).
 
Sin hardens the heart, deadens the mind so that one’s will rises in rebellion against God. It is the original sin-nature that lurks in the heart of every man and woman. Any concession to one’s old way of life instantly encourages faithlessness against God.
 
Isn’t it cruel of God to set an endpoint where people will diligently seek Him and they will not find Him? Not at all. You were made by Him. You were made for Him. When you perversely continue to oppose Him in your words, your choices, your thoughts and your actions, then you have trained yourself in outrage against God for so long that you are too self-congratulatory to see your own vileness. You will call out to God on your terms, as if He owes you anything. He doesn’t owe you anything.
 
The fear of the LORD. Where there is no fear of the LORD, people will sin. They will act as if there will never be an accounting for their life and everything they thought, said and did (and the good deeds they left undone). Those who walk in wisdom’s ways know the LORD is gracious in forgiving sin. The LORD has provided the sacrifice which turns aside His wrath against all the iniquities of the heart, all the lusts of the flesh, and all the sin of one’s life. That sacrifice is Jesus Christ. To ignore God’s gift of grace, Jesus Christ, is to invoke the wrath of God against yourself.
 
The fear of the LORD is pure. When one stands in the pure presence of God through Bible reading and prayer, one’s sin is revealed to be like leeches all over the body, leeches sucking life blood away; gross, vile, and the most appropriate impulse is to want every single one of them to be pulled off. The fear of the LORD is right. It is clean. It is good. It is to read Scripture and begin to understand that He is holy. He is all-together right in all His ways. Just in His judgments. Any lack of conformity to His glory stings the conscience. Such stinging of the conscience is the appropriate warning bell to go to God, the merciful, in confession that turns from the old patterns of sin and is renewed in joy-filled obedience to Him.
 
God, our Father, thank You for the ringing alarms of conscience sounded by the reading of Your Word. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit Who takes the Word and makes it real, living and vital, a beacon of hope. Thank You God, for the wondrous gift of Jesus, in Whom every lecherous sin is pulled off and in Him Who true heart, mind, and soul healing begins. Spirit of God, renew in me a holy fear of the LORD, and a holy hunger for true Christian community where I join with others in mutual accountability against sin and incitement among us of a growing love for God. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/CyHbdqB8kto?si=TVq0oiFvXFNXyyf8 All to Jesus I Surrender
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 8, 2026 -- Proverbs 1:20-22 -- Choose wisdom. Worship the LORD Who gives wisdom

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

20  Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21  at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22  “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Pr 1:20–22.
 
Choose this day who you will serve. Will you serve God in wisdom, or will you run with the Devil hating all knowledge? The wisdom found in Proverbs is so direct. There is no middle way, no compromise with sin, nor any provision made for toying with the evil deeds.
 
Wisdom, in the Hebrew language, is plural here. It emphasizes the brilliance and beauty of wisdom. She is a prize. She is the goal. She is the pathway that leads to fellowship with God and blessedness on earth. The world’s clamour seeks to drown her out, but even in the noisy marketplace, wisdom can be found by those who fear the LORD.
 
Fools and scoffers hate knowledge. They will despise wisdom. The more she calls, the greater will be the mocking and vile joking found among fools. A warning is coming at verse 24 and following. The consequence of ignoring wisdom and then mocking the way of the LORD leads to such deep entanglement in sin that one who is trapped in it will finally cry out to the very God he once mocked, but then he will be ignored because he continuously refused the invitation to walk in God’s wisdom.
 
Today is Sunday. Today is the day the LORD has made for His people to heed the call of wisdom. Join with the people of God. Find a Christ-believing, bible-preaching, church where you can confess the ways in which you’ve been foolish and now, while the invitation is offered, regain the right path of wisdom. Now is the day of salvation. If you hear His voice and the warm invitation of wisdom, do not out of laziness or fear neglect to answer. Stir yourself. Join with the people of God. Now is the day to turn to God and find in Him true joy and peace.
 
Father in heaven, great and glorious is Your Name. You are wise and good in all Your ways. Thank You for the gift of wisdom, personified here in the Proverbs, raising her voice in every place and circumstance of life. Thank You that the New Testament shows Jesus Christ to be wise in all His ways, the source of salvation for all who call on Him. Spirit of God, I know how easily I wander. Sometimes it is fear of public ridicule for following You. Sometimes I wander, in crazy curiosity, even as the warning bells sound alarm in my mind. Sometimes I just want to do what I want to do. Forgive me. Let wisdom be a graceful crown to protect my thoughts and a pendant, like a medic alert button, to sound off whenever I need help from brothers or sisters in Christ. This Sunday, renew in me a depth of joy in serving you and wide measure of hope that You will not abandon me to the foolishness of my ways. As I walk in true community with Jesus and with others, let the light of His wisdom be the powerful lighthouse directing my way. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/gYI97zahdfU?si=AZBVDU8P3pCamMOJ How Shall the Young Direct Their Way
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 6, 2026 -- Proverbs 1:8-10 -- Choose not to be enticed

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
    and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
    and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.
Proverbs 1:8-10 ESV
 
Choose whom you will serve. As soon as you set your feet on the floor in the morning, at the noon day meal, as the day wears into the evening, constantly renew your vow to listen to and obey the captain of your salvation: Jesus! The first word is “sh’ma” or “hear” which carries the sense to hear and having heard to obey it fully. A devout Jewish man will, every morning and every evening, recite: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one, you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). That simple word “hear” is a deep reminder of his commitment to serving God and Him alone. The echo of that very common word in this passage will remind him of his continual vow.
 
Second, the word entice means that sinners will open the way to sin. It won’t take effort on your part. They’ll have done the work, opened the door, all you have to do is step through it. To entice also carries the sense to seduce. You don’t ever have to look for trouble, you will be seduced into it. Sin will rush out to meet you, arms wide open, instruments of evil (concealed as ‘fun’, or a new exciting pleasure) at the ready. Sometimes it is subtle. Sometimes it is a desire you’ve long held but only secretly, and you can’t believe your good luck in finding this door open…only, take this warning, it is the road that leads to death.
 
What guards you from the allurements of the wicked and invitations of the wicked? It is the instruction of Christian fathers and the teaching of Christian mothers. What you laughed at as “old fashioned” is in fact the guardian designed to protect you from yourself. Your youthful lusts. Your youthful peer group who pressures you, though you in your naiveté can’t imagine your friends would want to hurt you. At best they are just as ignorant to the ways of sin and the strong pull of vileness as you are; at worst, their guilty conscience and foul self-hatred means they want you to feel as bad as they do. The word is true. The godly ones, your earthly parents, or your spiritual fathers and mothers are the ones who sound loud the warning bell.
 
Boxing Day, 2004, Thailand, the beaches suddenly were far more exposed than usual. The on-coming tsunami pulled back a huge trough of water. More of the beach was exposed than ever before. It was inviting. Look. Explore. The wise knew it was ominous. A signal great danger was on its way. The foolish didn’t have the knowledge or teaching to know a tsunami was rushing towards them. So it is with sin. Only the wise, taught Scripture by faithful spiritual fathers or mothers, will recognize how great is the danger that will overtake you if you don’t immediately recognize the danger of the too-good-to-be-true circumstance you find yourself in.  Act accordingly. Flee the danger.
 
A father’s instruction is a graceful garland on the head. It is like an athlete’s crown so that the head is clothed with wisdom for any circumstance. The mother’s teaching is like a pendant, like a medical alert button worn by someone who is weak. You press it because you know how vulnerable you truly are. You press the help button, immediately rescue is on the way.
 
O LORD, Faithful One, thank You for godly fathers and mothers in the faith. Thank You for their wise counsel, their persistence in pointing out Your grace and goodness, and their great allegiance to us, especially during those frequent times we’ve been foolish. I repent of the many times I’ve been deaf to the appeals of those wiser than me and have rushed headlong into sin. I confess I’ve known the good I ought to do and turned away to do exactly the opposite. Thank You for the reconciling blood of Jesus Christ. Thank You for the guardianship of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You, that You show me my sins, so that I can confess them. Turn from them. And once again walk the path of wisdom. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/ndZsEDuCVAQ?si=YwgF5ZtmA5ceFIu- Psalm 27 (One Thing)
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

February 5, 2026 -- Proverbs 1:7 -- What are you choosing?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7 ESV
 
Choose this day whom you will serve! Will you serve the LORD in the holy fear of His Name, or will you, like a fool rushing headlong to hell, despise wisdom and instruction? Let me ask you a question: Who is the Bible written for? The Holy Spirit working through the gifts and personalities of ordinary men, inspired them to record the fully accurate, fully reliable word of God. The Word of God is for the people of God. The Holy Spirit preserved the Word of God through-out all generations. Those who are wise, that is, people who belong to God through the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, willingly and readily receive instruction and learning. Then, believers apply the word of God to their lives. Believers in their living and talking reflect the glory of God and saints are encouraged and sinners are called to repentance. The word of God challenges believers to reconsider their ways. Just because someone seems to walk in Christ, seem one day to be doing well, doesn’t mean he is well. The human heart is deceptive above all things. You can easily fool yourself. You might think you are following God, when in fact, you are pursuing your own comfort, or your own interpretation, or your own will.
 
John Calvin noted that for a believer to truly know God, he must first know himself. His own sinfulness. His raison d’être. A child of God will, in humility and awe, examine himself, or herself in the light of the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will continually sanctify, that is, make holy, the one who believes in God. The design of what you will be is already set out for each one in the plan of God, the work is progressing. You are God’s workmanship, currently under-construction. The more you are conformed to the will and image of God, the more you’ll see your flaws and imperfections. The closer you are to completion in Christ, the more each imperfection will mar your conscience and affect your walk with God. You will become impatient to be more like Jesus.
 

• The fear of the LORD disquiets the soul, keeping it from falsely being content with anything less than being perfect, as God is perfect.

• The fear of the LORD is a holy dedication to our Father. To be so utterly loved by God means one desires to be more like Him. Any sin, any deficiency of conformity to His will, is odious to the believer. The believer knows he is loved by God and wants to fully, perfectly, daily, love Him. So, that believer, discovering something (many things) which needs to be removed so the pathway of greater love for God and truer love for neighbour can be regained, he will gladly chuck it away from himself. “I will run in the way of your commands when you enlarge my heart” Psalm 119:32. Our heart is enlarged, made more roomy for the fullest presence of God, as every sin is cast down and every secret idol exposed and thrown into the latrine.

• The fear of the LORD raises in the believer the awareness of how much sin continually hinders the relationship. A pastoral counselor I know uses this counseling technique with couples who struggle. “Sweetheart, if you could tell me anything about me, knowing that I won’t respond in anger or frustration, but will listen intently and with an open heart and mind, what would you have me know about myself? What am I doing wrong? What is bothering you?” Many folks reading this wince because they are afraid of the litany of wrongs their spouse, who lives seemingly-contentedly with them, might have to recite. Believers know they are sinful. They easily keep a record of wrongs against others. Can cite the evidence of greed, or anger and so on they easily detect in others…though maybe not so easily recognize in themselves. The LORD will, in the quiet of prayer time, in the intimacy of Bible study, show you your wayward heart, your insolence, your pride, your wicked proclivities. He will show it, so you can confess. Confessing and repenting of it, you can walk in deeper fellowship. It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4).

 
Dear fellow believer, do you know yourself? Does the light of God’s love and the glory He has in store for you jump off Scripture’s page? Do you thirst, like a parched man, dry-throated, long for the living water found in the Word of God? When you drink deeply your soul will be satisfied. Your conscience will be excited, because you will realize it was your own out-of-alignment-with-God desires which caused you to wander into the desert of sin in the first place. You’ll confess it. Desire to stay near the well of Living Water, Jesus Himself.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for the treasure of Your Word. Thank You for the glorious work of Jesus Christ, Who is the radiance of Your glory, the only righteous One, Your appointed Redeemer for our abject neediness. Father in heaven, pour out Your Spirit, so that the Word will be a rich banquet to our starving souls and instruction in knowledge to our minds. We confess, how readily we despise wisdom and chafe against instruction. Quiet our souls. Humble our hearts. Feed us until we realize our complete satisfaction is found in You alone. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/sXgCi5mhRYM?si=LXqa9jNkLwLVc62r Whiter than Snow
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.